354  Annual  Report  for  1909  of  the  Consulting  Botanist. 
376).  In  one  case  in  which  the  farmer  carried  out  a six-years’ 
rotation,  following  wheat,  roots,  and  oats  by  a three-years’ 
pasture,  has  this  year  found  the  red  clover  in  the  pasture 
entirely  destroyed  by  this  fungus,  though  the  neighbouring 
fields  of  clover  were  quite  healthy. 
Diseases  of  wheat  were  found  to  be  caused  by  Septoria 
Graminis,  Gladosporium  Herharum,  and  Helminthosporium 
gramineum.  Cases  of  rust  on  wheat  and  grass  were  examined. 
The  latter  occurred  in  a plot  sown  in  the  spring.  The  grass 
grew  well,  but  in  September  it  suddenly  became  quite  yellow 
with  the  rust  spores,  while  no  such  disease  was  detected  in 
the  neighbourhood.  In  the  shrubbery  not  far  off  there  were 
many  Mahonia  shrubs,  which,  like  our  barberry,  is  a host  of 
the  smut  fungus  in  an  earlier  stage  of  its  life. 
Potato  Diseases. 
Several  fungus  attacks  of  potatoes  were  examined.  Tubers 
covered  with  the  warts  figured  in  the  Journal,  1904,  page  264, 
were  received.  They  supplied  no  more  information  as  to  the 
cause  of  the  warts  than  was  given  in  that  Report.  Specimens  of 
“ British  Queen  ” potatoes  which  were  being  germinated  had 
the  sprouts  covered  with  something  white  looking  like  hoar 
frost.  This  was  found  to  be  due  to  the  spores  of  a Fusarium 
which  had  attacked  and  was  destroying  the  young  sprouts. 
In  Staffordshire  a field  of  potatoes  was  so  badly  attacked  in 
July  by  Macrosporium  Solani  that  nothing  could  be  done  to 
save  the  crop.  It  was  too  late  to  gain  anything  by  spraying. 
Some  apples  received  in  the  autumn  were  being  destroyed  by 
bacteria.  It  was  recommended  that  the  injured  apples  should 
not  be  left  in  the  orchard.  The  injury,  often  found  in  apple 
trees,  caused  by  Nectria,  was  sent  from  Wiltshire.  It  was 
recommended  that  the  diseased  branches  should  be  cut  away 
and  burned,  and  the  trees  should  be  whitewashed  and  watched 
for  any  spots  that  might  appear,  and  that  these  be  removed. 
From  the  same  county  were  sent  leaves  of  peach  and  plum 
attacked  by  the  shot-hole  fungus,  Cercospora  circumcissa.  It 
was  suggested  that  the  young  leaves  should,  in  spring,  be 
sprayed  with  a dilute  solution  of  ammoniacal  copper  carbonate. 
Poisonous  Plants. 
Two  cases  of  supposed  injury  to  cows  were  investigated. 
A field  in  Gloucestershire  had  the  reputation  of  causing 
abortion.  The  field  was  visited  and  carefully  examined. 
There  was  nothing  in  the  herbage  to  account  for  the  evil,  and 
in  prosecuting  the  inquiry  no  case  of  abortion  was  certainly 
discovered.  The  origin  of  the  rumour  was  traced  to  a former 
tenant  who  had  got  notice  to  leave.  It  was  recommended  that 
